Theatre Stuff Update

Well, my reading of The Offsite last week went very well. We had about 28 people, nearly all of whom stayed for the post-reading discussion. I got a lot of good comments, and I've got ideas on where to take the play next.

The only issue is the ending. A short summary of the play is: four people going through the world's craziest team-building seminar discover its all a sham, and have to figure out a way to blackmail the seminar leader in order to save their jobs. Ironically, they end up a much better team at the end. The question is: what really should be going on behind the scenes? There are three possibilities:

1. The "sham" business is, itself, just a scheme to build these people into a team (and it works).
2. The workshop really is a sham.
3. It's ambiguous.

I originally went with #1, switched it to #2, but got a number of people who told me they would have preferred #1 (except for my parents, who felt the ending was ambiguous and liked it that way).

I still haven't decided what I'm going to do. Maybe I need to think up a #4.

My other theatre project, the New Works Festival, opened last Friday as well. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. Unfortunately, it only runs for two weekends, which means it closes on Sunday.

It's Just a Staged Reading; What Could Go Wrong?

My staged reading for The Offsite has turned out to be been quite an adventure, with the breakdown of my car only a small part. Here's the full timeline:

Friday, July 27 -- We are fully cast. We have three rehearsals scheduled: July 28, 29 and August 2.
Saturday, July 28, 10:00am -- I get a call from my director, informing me that the actor who was to play Theo had called him to say he would not be able to attend rehearsal that day, due to a family emergency. From the tone of the actor's voice, my director felt that the situation was so serious that the actor would probably drop out of the entire production.
Saturday, July 28, noon -- Rehearsal #1. The director plays Theo.
Saturday, July 28, 7:00pm -- I get an email from the actor playing Kyan saying that he is pulling out of the production because he "felt no connection to the script". We're now down to three actors.
Sunday, July 29, noon -- Rehearsal #2. I play Kyan and my director plays Theo. After we finish and the actors leaves, my director and I decide that, once we recast the two roles, we will need to add an additional rehearsal.
Sunday, July 29, 10:00pm -- My director lets me know that he has recast one of the roles.
Wednesday, August 1, 9:00pm -- After much scrambling, we've recast the other roles. However, the new actor playing Kyan won't be able to attend Thursday's rehearsal because he's had dental work and is on pain meds that don't allow him to drive.
Thursday, August 2, 6:15pm -- Reherasal #3. While driving to the rehearsal, I notice steam coming out from under the hood of my car. I get my car towed to a shop, and my director picks me up. I miss the rehearsal for act I, but I'm there for act II. I play Kyan.
Friday, August 3, 3:00pm -- My director calls me to let me know that the actor playing Kyan is pulling out, because his car blew a head gasket and he has no way to get to the rehearsal or performance spaces. I begin to wonder if I've written a cursed play.
Friday, August 4, 1:00pm -- The shop calls me to let me know my car has a serious radiator leak. I'm out $650.
Friday, August 3, 9:00pm -- My director calls again, to let me know the actor is back in. He has found alternative transportation. I become less concerned about the supernatural powers of my play.
Saturday, August 4, 3:30pm -- The newly-added rehearsal #4. All five of our actors are present, for the first time. The rehearsal goes very well.

The reading is in 48 hours. Here's hoping nothing else happens.

First post from my iPhone!!!

Unfortunately, the reason I'm posting from my iPhone is that my car has broken down, and I have nothing else to while I wait for AAA.